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U.S. Workers Blame Sedentary Careers for Weight Gain

A new CareerBuilder survey finds that 56% of the nation's workforce believes they are overweight, and 45% believe they've gained weight at their present job, on par with last year.

Twenty-five percent of all workers said they gained more than 10 pounds at their current job; one in 10 gained more than 20 pounds.

The nationwide survey was conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from Feb. 16 to March 9, 2017, among a representative sample of 3,420 full-time workers across industries and company sizes in the U.S, including 3,215 in the private sector.

Sedentary careers, stress-related eating, and workplace weariness can all deter workers from a healthy lifestyle. When surveyed about what they think contributes to weight gain at work, employees who have gained weight said:

"Providing employees the tools they need to get and stay healthy, then encouraging their workers to use these benefits, is a surefire way to maximize your talent and encourage employee loyalty."

Exercise: Consistency Is the Key

Despite more than a third of workers who have gained weight at their present jobs saying they're too tired or don't have time to exercise, the majority of U.S. workers (59%) say they exercise on a regular basis.

Workers in the West (67%) are the most likely to say this, followed by workers in the South (60%), the Northeast (57%), and the Midwest (53%).

But what does "on a regular basis" mean to Americans, and how much exercise is actually helping them lose weight?

Three in ten (29%) regularly work out three or fewer days a week, and 29% regularly work out four or more days a week.

Consistency is key. Twenty-two percent of U.S. workers who regularly work out four or more days a week say they lost weight at their present job, compared to 16% of those who regularly work out three or fewer days a week.

Forty-one percent of workers don't work out regularly or at all, and 47% of this group say they gained weight at their current job.

Snack Attack

Exercise isn't the only key to losing weight—as they say, you are what you eat.

A quarter of U.S. workers (24%) eat out at least three times per week for lunch instead of packing their lunch. Twelve percent of workers find their grub from the vending machine at least once a week.

Workers are then taking their meals back to their desks; 56% eat from their work station.

Lunch isn't the only time the U.S. workforce is eating. Workers are munching away most of the day—73% of workers snack on the job.

Looking for colleagues who are the most likely to have snacks to share? Seventy-seven percent of women snack during the day, compared to 69% of men.

Thirty-five to 44 year olds may also have a full snack drawer; 79% of this group snacks at work, more than 18–24 year olds (66%), 25–34 year olds (75%), and those over 45 (72%).

Does Where You Live or What You Do Impact Your Weight?

It's widely known exercise and diet impact your health, but did you know your city and industry can?

CareerBuilder research ranked major U.S. cities with the highest percentage of workers who say they have gained weight at their present job.

Houston (57%)

Washington D.C. (50%)

Dallas (47%)

Boston (47%)

Los Angeles (47%)

Atlanta (44%)

Miami (42%)

New York (42%)

Chicago (42%)

Philadelphia (41%)

Those working in financial services may have more of an uphill battle with their weight; 57% of workers in that industry feel they have gained weight at their job, followed by healthcare (50%), transportation (50%), sales (50%), IT (44%), manufacturing (43%), leisure and hospitality (42%), and retail (37%).

Employers Want to Help

Some employers are stepping in to help their employees get fit, but are employees using these tools?

Twenty-eight percent of employees say their company provides gym passes, workout facilities, or wellness benefits, but 63% of this group don't take advantage of them.

Sixty-four percent of workers say their employers do not offer wellness benefits, but if offered, 42% believe they would take advantage of them.